by Shane Henson — July 29, 2011—General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar will launch what is reportedly the first real-world pilot of smart grid solutions for electric vehicles (EVs) this year. The companies hope to pave the way for utilities to increase energy efficiency and offer lower charging costs to customers. Starting this quarter, hundreds of employees of regional utilities will drive leased Chevrolet Volts as their everyday vehicles and participate in the pilot.
Through the OnStar Advanced Telematics Operations Management System (ATOMS), a utility will be able to accurately monitor and manage the energy used by the vehicles. The data will give the utility insight into where and when EVs are charged and demand response, which allows the utility to reduce peak demand by shifting EV charging to non-peak hours.
Through OnStar’s ATOMS infrastructure and partners’ solutions, utilities will be able to implement two smart grid services:
- Data Gathering. With customer permission, OnStar will provide the utility with overall charge level as well as charging history—by time and location—for the Volt pilot fleet, without the vehicles having to connect to a charging station. This will give the utility better insight for forecasting demand, setting rates and determining the best location for charging infrastructure.
- Demand response. OnStar will allow the utility to actively manage EV charging for those who opt in to the service. The utility can then reduce peak loads by offering discounts or other incentives to encourage drivers to charge their EVs when overall electricity demand is lowest, typically in the early morning hours.
- Demand response. OnStar will allow the utility to actively manage EV charging for those who opt in to the service. The utility can then reduce peak loads by offering discounts or other incentives to encourage drivers to charge their EVs when overall electricity demand is lowest, typically in the early morning hours.
OnStar, an automotive industry leader in telematics, first demonstrated EV data gathering and demand response earlier this year at the DistribuTECH conference in San Diego. The Chevrolet Volt is now available in select U.S. markets and will be available nationwide by the end of the year.
